Permanently Beautiful

Think mascara is the only key to making your eyes look larger and more youthful?  Think again! Read on as we reveal the eye enhancing tips many makeup
artists never spill!

Think about skin health first. - Natural aging and constant eyeliner application can really make the eyelids appear older, making eyes sag and look closed up.  Makeup artists often use eye creams on their celebrity clients daily and sometimes try to avoid damaging the eyelid skin cells further by using powder liner instead of rough pencils.

Take full advantage of eyelash curlers. – Lashes that curl youthfully upward visually pull the eyes up, creating the illusion that they are actually larger.  Makeup artists often use eyelash curlers in order to take advantage of this visual trick.

Use white eye pencil and highlighter. – To create doughy eyed looks on celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, makeup artists use white eyeliner or powder
to line lids, they also use shimmery highlighter around the eyes and brow bone to draw attention to the eye.

Never forget about brows. - The look of one’s eyebrows can make or break the look of their eyes.  If a brow over or under powers and eye, it can actually make the eye look smaller.  Well groomed brows are part of the wide eyed equation.

If you can’t afford to have your own on call makeup artist daily, you can still get bigger eyes daily by consulting with the expert permanent makeup artists at The Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics about permanent eyeliner and eyebrow application.

To apply liquid eyeliner, you’ll usually want to line the eye along the lash line in one big sweep. When going for accuracy, one alternative application method is to start at the middle of the lash line and line outwards, then go back to finish the line from the inner corner of the eye to the middle. When using liquid liner for a dramatic “cat’s eye” look, just line from the middle of the lash line and a bit further than the natural outer corner of the eye.

To apply eyeliner with a pencil, first make sure you have the eyeliner pencil sharpened to a decent point. Then, line as close to the lash line as possible along the entire top of the eye. With pencil eyeliner, lining the lash line at the bottom of the eye is possible, but optional.

Many women are unsure of what type of eyeliner to commit to on a daily basis. Common pencil eyeliners are somewhat easy to use, but tend to melt into the skin or rub off and usually don’t stay put all day. Liquid eyeliners often stay put a little longer than pencil eyeliners, but can be tough to apply on a daily basis, and sometimes look a little harsh. This is especially true on fair skin tones.

If you’re looking for a way to save time, you’ll definitely want to consider permanent eyeliner. Permanent eyeliner is the perfect alternative to daily use of liquid or pencil eyeliner.

Do you spend hours in the mirror trying to perfect your makeup? New software soon to be released aims to help with that. The new beauty technology, which was recently showcased at CeBIT – the world’s biggest high-tech fair, takes a 3D image of your face and measures your complexion, shadows, and lines.

The software uses the scan to compare your face to 60 pre-programmed models and advise you of how much makeup should be applied to particular parts of your face based on the professional make-overs conducted on your model match. The software is also designed to tell women which tried-and-tested makeup combinations will be right for their faces.

The professional makeover software concept was developed by Kristina Scherbaum at the prestigious Max Planck Institute, while the user interface was designed by Himangsho Saikia. Although the software is still in its research stages, the pair hopes to release the software sometime in the near future for both personal and commercial use.

Permanent makeup or cosmetic tattooing is another tried and true way to get the perfect makeup every day – no facial scans or self application required! Professional permanent makeup artist Melany Whitney uses her professional eye and years of experience to apply eye and lip makeup in just the right shade and amount – an added advantage…you won’t ever have to apply it daily.

The New York Times recently released a fascinating article on what our face says about us at 50. In light of President Obama’s recent 50th birthday, Times reporter Denise Grady examined the president’s facial features, such as the bags under his eyes, gray hair, firm chin and neck, the lines around his mouth and more. According to facial feature experts, Obama’s big ears revealed that he listens well to the country and his gleaming eyes reveal that he is a visionary.

“People make instant judgments about one another’s age, health, mood, personality and character based on facial features, and yet we often judge unconsciously, not fully aware of the cues we’re reading,” Grady writes. A Tufts University study even revealed that onlookers were likely to unknowingly view Republicans facial features as “powerful” and those of democrats as “warm.”

Even though we don’t want to others to know that we are tired or aging, we may be unable to hide it. These findings are more than interesting food for thought. They remind us that when we want to look our best, that we certainly have good reason. Whether we like it or not, people often judge us based on first impressions, and having facial features that portray qualities like youth and intelligence help us to make a good one.

Brighter, more open looking eyes, as well as plump, color rich lips signal that we are youthful, alert, and capable. Fortunately, permanent eyeliner and permanent lip liner create the illusion of these traits.

Allure Magazine recently released its take on the 12 sexiest makeup trends for Fall.  It looks like when it comes to eye makeup trends for Fall 2011, the eyes have it.  You’ll want to be equipped with your eye liner, mascara, eye shadows, and brow pencil throughout the season as you can expect to see well defined dark, and sultry eyes from the runway to reality.

 Smoky Metallic eyes as seen at the Roberto Cavalli Fall 2011 runway show set the tone for the season.  Try not to be too intimidated by applying this look.  You can actually work to accomplish it in three steps.  For this look, first rim your eyes from top to bottom with dark black liner.  Second, brush a charcoal shadow over the lids and into the crease of your eye.  Last, choose a shade like copper, gold, or another metallic shimmer with autumn hues to dust on.  Having beautiful permanent eyeliner already applied can reduce getting the smoky metallic look to just two quick steps!

 Dramatic lashes are yet another hot eye makeup trend for Fall 2011.  As we leave the smoldering summer heat, the beach, and minimalist makeup behind, now is the perfect time to really highlight those lashes.  According to Allure, to get a wide eyed effect, just ski p the extra eyeliner and fatten up top lashes.  If you want to “fatten up” your top lash line permanently, why not consider creating the look using permanent lash enhancement?  The Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics can help you to achieve this look any time of year!

Most of us have been told since our pre-teen days that it simply “isn’t healthy to wear makeup to bed.”  We are reminded time and time again to thoroughly wash our faces before hit the pillow, but still most women slip up and sleep with all of their makeup on occasionally.  Here are four reasons to ditch the habit!

1.  It takes just two minutes to slather on and tissue off a facial cleanser before bedtime.  No matter how tired you are or how late it is, committing to staying awake these two extra minutes will be something your skin (and pillowcase) will thank you for!

2.  Washing your makeup off before bed helps to prevent breakouts.  Leaving makeup on while pressing your face against a pillow can clog pores, encouraging breakouts, and irritating any that you may already have. 

3.  Removing makeup can help to reduce wrinkling while you sleep.  Much of our makeup, including eyeliner, certain foundations, and powders dry out the skin.  Dry skin makes wrinkles appear sooner and more noticeably, while fresh, moisturized skin can reduce the look of wrinkles. 

4.  Removing makeup before bedtime helps prevent eye irritation and pink eye or conjunctivitis.  Some dermatologists cite sleeping with day old eyeliner and crusted mascara as a reason for eye irritation that can eventually lead to infection.  Remember, you can have permanent eyeliner applied and cosmetic tatoo lash enhancement done, to help avoid ever having to wear daily eye makeup, and therefore you can avoid ever being tempted to sleep in it.

The age old question, “How can I keep my Mascara from Streaking and Smudging?” was recently presented by one reader on the popular bridal website theknot.com.  The Knot had many great realistic suggestions on how to keep mascara from smudging during your wedding day (and any other day from that matter.)

Firstly, use waterproof mascara…cautiously.  We say “cautiously,” because as The Knot authors noted, no regular mascara is entirely smudge proof.  Even though you’re wearing smudge proof mascara, you’ll need to be careful about the way you’re crying on your special day.  Their professional makeup artist tip?  “Always allow tears to roll out from the inner corner of your eyes and onto your cheeks prior to blotting.”

The Knot’s tips are great and we, at The Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics, would like to add one more!  There is actually one type of makeup that is indeed smudge proof – permanent cosmetics by expert artist Melany Whitney!  Permanent eyeliner, brows, and even permanent lash enhancement are all smudge and smear proof techniques that will make your eyes pop on your wedding day or any day.  You will not need to worry about the way you let your tears roll with permanent cosmetics!  That is certainly a plus!  Each year, women from all over the world go to New York, New Jersey, and Florida to visit Melany in one of her permanent cosmetics offices for help with wedding day makeup.  Schedule your own consultation with Melany today.

The possibility of infection begins the minute you open a new tube of mascara or unscrew the lid on a new pot of creme eye shadow. Every time you touch the point of an eyeliner pencil or glide a wand of lip gloss across your lips you are collecting and spreading potentially harmful bacteria. Makeup applicators and the makeup itself are prime breeding grounds for harmful Staphylococcus bacteria, dermatologists warn.

Makeup contamination begins from the moment you open the package of a new cosmetic. The more often you use and the longer you keep a makeup product, the greater your risk of developing a serious bacterial or fungal infection on your skin or in your eye. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received 169 reports of serious cosmetic-linked infections last year, but noted that the majority of infections attributed to cosmetics are never reported.

Contaminated makeup can cause irritation of the skin or trigger an allergic reaction. However, the most dangerous and most frequent health risk occurs when bacteria enter the eye where they can cause itching, highly contagious conjunctivitis, painful styes and, if left untreated, vision damage.

Dermatologists say creme and liquid cosmetics present the greatest risk and recommend replacing powdered makeup products every 12 to 18 months and creme or liquid cosmetics, as well as all eye makeup, every 3 months. That can be expensive if you wear quality cosmetics that often sell for $30 to $50 or more per item. The safe, cost-effective solution is permanent cosmetics.

Age is called the great equalizer. The natural aging of our face and body is something we all struggle with. Some people embrace their wrinkles; others banish them with Botox or cosmetic surgery. But the search for beauty as we approach and move past middle age need not be so polarized. Permanent makeup offers some attractive choices for people at both ends of the aging/beauty argument.

You don’t have to let those first gray hairs and tiny wrinkles brand you as “old.” There are a few permanent makeup tricks you can use to fool Mother Nature. To create a more youthful appearance, focus on improving skin condition, eyes, eyebrows and cheeks.

• Skin condition. Light, airy moisturizers were wonderful when you were young, but skin becomes drier as we age. Switch to a heavier, creamy moisturizer with more plumping power.
• Eyes. Expertly-applied permanent eyeliner adds crisp definition and youthful sparkle to your eyes. 
• Eyebrows. Thick, dark, luxurious eyebrows are a sign of youth. Permanent eyebrows can restore rich color to age-faded brows and fill in thinning brows, giving you a more youthful appearance.
• Cheeks. When we’re young, our cheeks are naturally rosy. A subtle blush of permanent makeup across your cheekbones restores the rosy look of youth.

When people decide to replace their glasses with contact lenses, they generally do so to improve their appearance and vision. Unfortunately, if tiny flakes of eye liner, mascara, eye shadow or foundation fall into a contact lens-covered eye; vision blurs and eyes turn red and watery — not the most attractive look!

Bits of makeup trapped behind a contact lens can cause serious eye damage, ophthalmologists warn those who wear contacts. Trapped makeup can scratch the cornea, introduce bacteria into the eye, and cause serious eye infections. According to studies, incidents of ulcerative microbial keratitis, a serious eye infection that can permanently damage sight and result in blindness, have increased by 400% since contact lenses gained popularity. Contact lenses are now considered the leading risk factor for development of this sight-robbing infection.

To prevent eye infection, physicians recommend that contact lenses be inserted before applying makeup to prevent contamination of the lens. Lenses should also be removed before removing makeup, again to prevent contamination and lessen the risk of infection. Many contact lens wearers, as well as women with sensitive eyes and those who suffer from airborne allergies, solve the problem with permanent eyeliner, permanent eye shadow and permanent eyebrows. Permanent makeup eliminates the application of eye makeup and the potentially dangerous residual flaking that occurs with use of liners and powders.